Kabocha Squash Casserole

My favorite winter squash is the kabocha squash. It’s naturally very sweet, with a smooth texture and buttery flavor. Making a naturally sweetened kabocha squash casserole with a gluten-free topping ensures your gluten-free friends and family will be able to enjoy the dish, while those who do eat gluten won’t be able to tell the difference.

You can easily adapt this recipe to your own palate, using any winter squash of choice, or sweet potatoes as well. You can also replace the pure maple syrup with any of your favorite liquid sweeteners. Enjoy this steamy, hearty, sweet side dish alongside your favorite holiday entrees.

Ingredients:

1 large (6 lb.) kabocha squash, about 5 cups mashed

3 large eggs

½ cup pure maple syrup or honey

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

¼ cup gluten-free all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

1¼ tsp. sea salt

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. ground cardamom, optional

¼ tsp. ground cloves

1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour

1 cup raw walnuts, chopped

⅓ cup + 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

¼ tsp. sea salt

⅓ cup coconut oil, softened or melted

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 415°F.

Trim the top off of the kabocha squash. Drizzle the flesh with olive oil and use your hands to coat it. Sprinkle with salt and place cut-side down on a baking sheet. Roast in the preheated oven 55-65 minutes, or until kabocha squash is very soft when poked with a fork.

Scoop the flesh out of the kabocha squash and place it in a bowl to cool. Once cool, add the kabocha squash to a high-powered blender along with the rest of the ingredients for the filling. Blend until well-combined. Transfer filling mixture to a 9-inch round casserole dish (or 2-quart rectangular casserole dish) and preheat the oven to 375°F.

Stir together all of the ingredients for the topping until well combined. Evenly spread the topping mixture over the kabocha squash - it’s fine to have large clumps.

Bake at 375°F for 50 minutes, then turn off the oven and allow casserole to sit an additional 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes before serving.

If you have leftovers, cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or transfer to a sealable container and refrigerate up to 7 days.